Archive for This forum is for serving or retired firefighters from the LFB. This is the place to have a moan, have a laugh and maybe even get some proper answers to some time honoured and new questions
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Smoke Dodger
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stand by your bedsheard this one from a GM. he was telling me that in January, senior officers will no longer be able to camp out at stations. so for the 7 nights they do a month on 24s, they will have to find accomadation out of their own pockets. didums i hear you all cry. when asked about the beds on stations going, he said, and i quote "if i were a betting man, i would say April next year".
Now these are the men that would have to come a break the bad news to all of us, so it makes sense to hit them first, because when we start bitching, and we will bitch, they will come back with "they took our beds 3 months ago, and we're getting hit in the pocket!"
so come the end of March prepare to stand by your beds for the last time!
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BlazingPalace
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Of course if GM's had some back bone instead of jelly they could turn around and tell them where to stuff it not being able to sleep on stations and pay for accomadation out of their own pockets. If they are happy to accept that then that is down to them, does not mean I have to accept my bed going. I am prepared to fight for my working conditions.
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Blaze Bear
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No offence but maybe that’s simplifying it a bit, when have we ever had the right to change anything we see. They will come for our beds and the union will do nothing!
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BlazingPalace
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| Blaze Bear wrote: | | No offence but maybe that’s simplifying it a bit, when have we ever had the right to change anything we see. They will come for our beds and the union will do nothing! |
No offence taken, but lets not start with a negative attitude towards this issue. Only a few months ago as a Station Officer I was looking at a £3000 a year pay cut, the outlook was bleak but the support from all ranks including the Union insured we not only got a result where we kept our hard and well deserved money but it’s been open up to other newly appointed Watch Managers to be able to access that same rate of pay. Hopefully one day you will be in a position to receive that extra payment. What this shows is if the work force feels strongly about an issue we can achieve something. It’s not written in stone that the beds are going. If GM’s want to accept what is being put on them, that is down to them to either accept it or ask for support and do something about it.
If my GM came around to the station trying to “sell” the idea about beds going because they had to pay for their own accommodation when on call then I would tell him he / her they was a mug ( always have been gobby) for accepting this. This would show that the whole idea about beds going was founded on weak issues rather than trying to improve productivity from the work force.
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john smith
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To remove beds =change in shifts
change in shifts =change in contracts
change in contracts =6 month time scale and the union will fight remember we balloted 98% in favour of industrial action short of strike and if your in the union then your a member of a branch = you are the union
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Straight8
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Beds going? Another rumour?
I heard that one just over 20 years ago and I guess the men with 20 years in then had heard it when they joined. 
It's about a shift change, and that's not going to happen anytime soon, that much I'm confident about. 
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Redbusrider
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At the presentation for Commisioner and Brian Coleman to senior offices it was remarked that the whole shift/bed idea was being " re packaged". The impression of officers attending was this would be rebranded. by 2010 not 2009.
One thing to remember, when they change the shifts, which they will .It only needs an hour or so off nights to remove beds. When the union go for public support, think about it. Being payed to sleep when some people have lost their house, job etc how much support will there be?
Remember the strike and how the union folded, don't get me wrong, I have been a union member for years and have been straight out the door but I'm also a realist. 
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gilbert
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Stand by your bedsWell, i dont think the GMs will do anything about it. You dont go that far up the ranks without excepting the baggage that goes with the job.
If you are a GM on development you want to get off the book with the least amount of hassle as possible. If you are a substansive GM and want to go further you are not going to cause any hassle are you? And if you are a GM in a good position what aren't you going to do?
Dont forget,that at that level in the brigade you cease to a firefighter of any description and enter the world of politics, and you dont want to be a GM on the opposition bench's. Do you.
So when it comes to us losing our beds we may well only get a token gesture with no names mentioned!!!
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BlazingPalace
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| Redbusrider wrote: | At the presentation for Commisioner and Brian Coleman to senior offices it was remarked that the whole shift/bed idea was being " re packaged". The impression of officers attending was this would be rebranded. by 2010 not 2009.
One thing to remember, when they change the shifts, which they will .It only needs an hour or so off nights to remove beds. When the union go for public support, think about it. Being payed to sleep when some people have lost their house, job etc how much support will there be?
Remember the strike and how the union folded, don't get me wrong, I have been a union member for years and have been straight out the door but I'm also a realist. |
I am sure someone will correct me, but if they shorten the night shift by just 1 Hour that still makes it a 14 hour night shift which falls outside the European working directive on hours, which means we would still have to be given rest facilities ( Chairs that go flat like beds ) so that part is not totally correct.
Believe it or not there are other occupations working shifts of our length or nearly as long that get rest periods which included going to bed, so we are not unique. As already mentioned just look at the trials at Wallington by the time 2 whole watches where off sick with bad backs the whole project came to a grinding halt. To get what you want you don’t have to walk out of the doors, just play their game.
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Straight8
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If they wish to replace the 'Beds' with horizontal chairs, then we won't have any real arguement, and to be honest it'll make no difference to me.
If they try to change the shift pattern, then thats a different ball game . . . and they know it.
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